Dr. Warren L. Jones talks about the joy of giving, at the annual prayer breakfast at the Heritage Senior Center Friday morning. [Click to enlarge]

A bobbin boy who was given the chance the read books in the mid 1800s later gave away thousands of dollars to fund schools and libraries across the U.S., including the Carnegie Library in McCook.

The joy of giving -- and how it can multiply in unexpected ways -- was the theme of keynote speaker Dr. Warren L. Jones, DDS, at the McCook Heritage Days annual prayer breakfast at the Heritage Senior Center this morning.

Warren told the story of Col. Anderson, who returned to Pennsylvania after serving in the War of 1812 and opened up his library of 400 books to the "working boys" of the day. Hundreds of boys thronged the streets during the Industrial Revolution, including a boy named Andrew who worked for $1.20 a week to replace bobbins on the cotton cloth looms.

The boy later became one of the wealthiest manufacturers in the history of the United States, Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie never forgot the generosity of Col. Anderson and later gave away much of his money for philanthropic causes.

This community is blessed with many who give away their talent, time and funds, Jones said. Several he cited included Shoemaker Foundation in Cambridge, the anonymous contributor who will fund the Norris Park band shell study and Bruce Hoffman, who spearheaded the recent Burr Oak Canyon symposium south of Stratton.

"He put his heart and soul into it," Jones said of Hoffman "Now I think he's feeling a little lost, after spending so much time on it."

Those who give of their time and money do so selflessly, he continued.

"Look around -- there are people giving across the community," Jones said. "It's amazing what's going on around here."

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Jones is a 1965 McCook High School graduate and later attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln dental school. He opened a dental office in Cambridge in 1977 and later Bison Dental in McCook in 1996, now owned by his daughter, Dr. Melanie K. Jones-Wier. Jones is president of the Norris Institute and he and his wife Cathy, also a MHS graduate, have three children.

Master of Ceremonies Janet Weber, president of the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, opened with a brief history of the annual prayer breakfast, that began in 1989 and is sponsored by the George W. Norris Foundation.

Several honored guests at the prayer breakfast were introduced, including the 2008 Grand Marshall of Heritage Days, Col. Delbert L. Townsend, the Honor Family of Gary and Barb Wiemers, Parade Marshall Anne Morse and Heritage Days Royalty of William (Hank) Lichtenwaldt and Princess Sarah Wilcox. Bill Harris, recent MHS Wall of Fame inductee and his wife stood in for his mother Eleanor Harris, whose plane was delayed in Denver but who is expected to be in McCook for the Heritage Days celebration this weekend.

The Rev. Dr. Mary Hendricks, rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church, gave the invocation.

Musical entertainment was presented by the Gospel quartet, The 4Hyms, with accompanist Christy Stevens. The group, consisting of Bruce Lester, Dan Stevens, Jim Ladd and Jesse Stevens, sang "The Star Spangled Banner," Goodbye, World," and "Give It Away." They also will perform Sunday, 1 p.m., at Norris Park band shell.